In recent years, William has been trying to establish his image as a modern, forward-looking royal. However, there is a growing divide between William’s public role and his personal life. For instance, he has spoken up about racism on the football pitch and called for more diversity in the BAFTA awards. Despite this, there has been no recorded conversation or reconciliation between William and Harry regarding Meghan’s experiences in the royal family.

William’s public persona took somewhat of a hit when rumors began circling regarding William’s role in Kate’s fallout with her ex-best friend, Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. While there were suggestions that William and Rose’s closeness was the cause, the British media took a relatively tame approach to a potentially wild story, especially about how it has treated similar stories about other royals. The Palace worked overtime to ensure that the heir was protected. When the Rose Hanbury story first emerged, there was an uptick in negative stories about the Sussexes, which quickly silenced anything about William.

Throughout the entire episode, William kept his outward calm, resembling the Queen in this respect. He appears to have changed over the years—especially as he gets closer to the throne—turning colder and more indifferent.